Effectiveness of continuous glucose monitoring in maintaining glycaemic control among people with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials and meta-analysis – published online 09/02/2022

Evelyn Teo, Norasyikin Hassan, Wilson Tam, Serena Koh

Glucose monitoring is a key method for individuals with type 1 diabetes to maintain adequate glycaemic control and delay the onset of diabetic complications. The limitations of traditional self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) can be overcome by using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Current reviews regarding the effectiveness of CGM and SMBG on glycaemic control revealed several research gaps. In this issue, Teo et al (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-021-05648-4) report that CGM significantly reduces HbA_1c levels compared with SMBG, with larger effects observed among those with higher baseline HbA_1c. However, their results show that CGM has no effect on severe hypoglycaemia and diabetic ketoacidosis. The authors conclude that CGM is superior to SMBG in improving glycaemic control, especially among those with poorly controlled glycaemia. They also suggest that individuals with poorly controlled glycaemia would benefit most from CGM compared with SMBG in the community.

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